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As most of you know, I had a really sucky 2016. In addition to the problems all of us had with that hell-hole of a year, I had my beloved wife Kate’s illness and death and some other (not unrelated) personal crises that made me very glad to see it go. So at the beginning of this year I decided that 2017 would be my “Year of Yes.”

Yes to fun and excitement. Yes to opportunity and adventure. Yes to new experiences. Yes to love and sex.

It’s going well so far. Here’s an example: a Facebook post about where to find a new belt led in remarkably short order to a decision to visit Siena, Italy after the Worldcon for the Palio di Siena. I’ve been doing a lot of other travel on a rather spur-of-the-moment basis, and, closer to home, spending time with friends old and new and seeing a lot of theatre.

Now, I’m not going all Jim Carrey here. I’m still exercising judgement, and I’m still saying “no” some things, including avocados, olives, and cilantro (sorry, avocado fans). But before I say “no,” I do try to take a moment to consider whether this is still something I don’t want to do. Sometimes I do change my mind — for example, I had guacamole on my arepas the other day, and they were delicious. (Still hate raw avocado, though.)

“Yes” is not without its costs. For one thing, saying “yes” to some things inevitably means “no” to others. My trip to Siena means that I will be on the other side of the world for the August 21 solar eclipse — which will likely be the only solar eclipse within driving distance of my home in my lifetime. “Yes” has also put me in situations that push my boundaries, and in some cases have really frightened me. But all human activities have risks, and I’m determined to face them with mindfulness and learn from the experience.

I hope that you will join me in my Year of Yes. Let’s not let the bastards wear us down.

Thank you to everyone who came out for Kate’s memorial gathering last weekend! And special thanks to Mark Niemann-Ross, who made all the arrangements, and to everyone who pitched in and set up the tables and chairs when we were let into the building after the event was supposed to start. I’m sorry that I didn’t get to spend very much time talking with any one person, but there were lots of good reminiscences and conversation and some people hung around for visits and meals in the following days.

Here are some photos from the event. All are by Alex Wright, except for the last one which is by Karen Schaffer.

So here it is awards season, and I suppose I ought to summarize what I published in 2016. By comparison with previous years it is a very short list, only two items, but I’m exceptionally proud of both of them.

My first novel, Arabella of Mars, was published in 2016 to considerable acclaim:

“Embedded in the chaos of clockwork and space adventure, Arabella is a delightful heroine with more than enough fortitude to traverse the solar system. A fanciful romp through a cosmic 1812, Hugo Award-winning Levine’s first novel is a treat for steampunk fantasy fans. Debut of the Month.” — Library Journal, starred review

“Arabella is a fully realized character, daring and willing to risk everything to protect the brother she loves and the legacy that her father has left them. Her wits and cleverness save the ship and crew more than once in this rousing swashbuckler.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Excellent, entertaining, humorous scenarios make up Levine’s latest. His storytelling will keep readers turning the pages with its slight edginess, light-hearted tone and clear, crisp dialogue. Arabella is strong, sassy and clever, and her journey, as she makes her way back to Mars on an airship, makes this story an engaging read.” — RT Book Reviews, four-star review

Arabella of Mars is available in hardcover, ebook, and audio formats at Amazon, Powell’s, and everywhere else books are sold.

My only other publication in 2016 was novelette “Discards” at tor.com, a standalone story in George R. R. Martin’s Wild Cards universe. You can read the whole thing for free at tor.com.

If you are a SFWA member and believe these works are award-worthy, you can recommend Arabella for the Nebula or Norton Award or “Discards” for the Nebula Award (login required).

An informal memorial gathering to remember and celebrate the life of Kate Yule will be held on January 28, 2017, from 2pm to 5pm, at the Fulton Park Community Center in Portland, Oregon. Bring your memories, photographs, knitted objects, and stories of Kate.

We will be providing hors d’oeuvres from Chef Naoko. It’s really important that you RSVP, and do so as soon as possible — January 22 at the latest — so we know how much food to order. Please RSVP here: http://evite.me/CvqND1nn1M

If you are coming in from out of town, we’ve set up a 15% discount at the Embassy Suites Portland Downtown (the BentoCon hotel). Use the hotel website, or call 800-643-7892, and use group code “DLM” and reserve before January 21 to get the discounted rate.

Anyone who knew and loved Kate is welcome to attend; please feel free to forward this invitation to anyone we might have missed.

There will be an informal memorial gathering to remember and celebrate the life of Kate Yule on January 28, 2017, from 2pm to 5pm, at the Fulton Park Community Center, 68 SW Miles St., Portland, OR 97219 (http://www.portlandoregon.gov/parks/64917). We will be providing more details and requesting RSVPs soon, but I wanted to let you know as soon as the date was nailed down. Anyone who knew and loved Kate is welcome to attend.

I’m doing okay, mostly. I’m still dealing with grief but I no longer feel like I’m carrying the shattered pieces of myself around in my hands. I’m keeping busy, spending time with friends, traveling (at the moment I’m at the airport, heading for a few days in San Diego with friends who have a condo there, and I also have travel plans for Christmas and New Year’s), and seeing a counselor. I am lonely but not alone. Thank you all for your help and support over the last two very difficult years.

OryCon starts Friday, and I’ll be there! Here’s where you can find me. I’m also doing NaNoWriMo this year and would be interested in meeting people for writing dates during the convention.

NOVEMBER 18 • FRIDAY

3:00-4:00pm: Steampunk! Explain It! Salon C (LL1)Stephen Couchman (m), Ann Gimpel, David Levine, Rhiannon Louve
How much Steam is required in Steampunk? Is alternative history a must? Is it fantasy, or SF, and/or a lifestyle?

NOVEMBER 19 • SATURDAY

10:00-10:30am: David Levine Reading Hawthorne (2)David Levine
I will be reading from Arabella and the Battle of Venus!

2:00-3:00pm Finding Diverse Voices & Characters in SF/F Salon C (LL1)Jeffrey Cook, David Levine, Deborah Ross, Caroline M. Yoachim
Diversity in the physical, ethnic, cultural, sexual identity, and socioeconomic backgrounds of characters and writers of speculative fiction has become more important to readers and writers in recent years. Where do we go to find these characters and authors? Who are the writers (no matter their background) who are penning accurate and authentic experience? Do we find these books in the SF/F sections or do we need to look to other areas of the bookstore or library?

4:00-5:00pm The Davids discuss how to research alternate history: Mining real history for good fiction Douglas Fir (3)David Levine (m), David Boop, David Dvorkin, David Weber
What are the methods and sources for researching an alternate history story? Where do you find the information you need to sell your twisting of history to readers?

At the moment I am at the airport, heading to beautiful Columbus, Ohio for the World Fantasy Convention. I had been waffling about attending, due to some issues with the program and communication by the committee, but I really need to be with my people right now.

At the con I will be appearing on panel “Costume Makes the Character” on Thursday at 5pm in Delware CD (along with Delia Sherman, Madeleine Robins, Cinda Williams Chima, and Mercedes Lackey) and I have a reading on Friday at 1:30pm in Union D. Apart from that I will mostly be in the bar and otherwise hanging out. Kate was always the one who set up dinner dates for us, so please don’t be shy about asking me along if you need a lunch or dinner companion.

I’ve been keeping myself busy, being social and spontaneous. I haven’t been alone very much, which is a good thing. Most of the time I am okay, though I get walloped by grief as much as a couple of times a day. Being suddenly without obligations, after nearly two years of increasingly burdensome responsibility, feels like my mainspring has snapped. I have also been making plans for the future: Wordstock, OryCon, and Thanksgving with Kate’s folks are coming up soon, and I’m already thinking about next year’s travel.

Kate’s funeral last weekend was lovely. We had 120 people, who fit comfortably into a chapel with a nominal capacity of 100. Ellen Klages did a fabulous job as officiant, and the funeral director said she had rarely heard so many heartfelt, articulate tributes. I learned a few things too — many people described Kate as “adventurous,” which is not a word I would have used but, upon reflection, she really was.

The eulogy I delivered and a photo of Kate’s urn in its mausoleum niche are below. The urn, as you see, is in the shape of a stack of books, and is accompanied by a photo of Kate in Austria (her face is behind the flowers at the lower right).

Knitting is connecting. Our word “knit” is related to “knot,” and both are derived from an Old English word meaning “to tie with a knot, bind together, or fasten by tying.” A hand-knitted sweater like this one is basically a giant knot, tying together many skeins of yarn into an amazing complex thing that is warm, comforting, practical, and beautiful. Kate was a brilliant knitter, of course, but she was a connector in so many other ways as well. In the past week I have heard from so many people saying that they were new and alone at a science fiction convention or a square dance or a knitting circle and Kate welcomed them in. She was always inviting people along to dinner at the wonderful restaurants she managed to find in every city we visited. She spoke many languages and engaged with people all over the world, through science fiction fanzines and amateur press associations and blogs and mailing lists and Ravelry.com as well as through her travels. When I look out at all of you here — readers, writers, dancers, knitters, friends and family — I see the many communities that she brought together just by being herself. And you don’t break that kind of connection easily. You can probably all see the ragged hole in my soul, with the wires sticking out and spitting sparks, where Kate was attached. You have all been so helpful to both of us during Kate’s illness, and I’m going to need your help in the coming weeks and months. Thank you so much for being here, and for your continued support. Kate would have been so happy and proud to see you all here.

Thank you very much for all the support you have offered. It is greatly appreciated and will continue to be needed.

Just a reminder that Kate’s funeral is tomorrow, Sunday 10/16, at 1pm at Wilhelm’s Portland Memorial Funeral & Cremation. All who loved Kate are welcome. There will also be a less formal memorial gathering in January or so, details TBD.

My plan for today is to stay at home and receive visitors. Please txt me at 503-806-7562 before coming over, in case we are out at lunch or some such.

Thank you all so much for your love and support. It is greatly appreciated.

About David

David D. Levine is the author of Andre Norton Award winning novel Arabella of Mars (Tor 2016), sequels Arabella and the Battle of Venus (Tor 2017) and Arabella the Traitor of Mars (Tor 2018), and over fifty SF and fantasy stories. His story “Tk’Tk’Tk” won the Hugo, and he has been shortlisted for awards including the Hugo, Nebula, Campbell, and Sturgeon. Stories have appeared in Asimov’s, Analog, F&SF, Tor.com, numerous Year’s Best anthologies, and his award-winning collection Space Magic.